Tag: NJPW G1 Climax

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night nine live results: Shingo vs. Sabre

Posted on by Chick Fritts

G1 Climax 34 action continues today with five A Block matches, including Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. in the main event.

Shingo is 2-3 with 4 points in the tournament, while Sabre is 4-1 with 8 points. It will be the fifth career singles meeting for Shingo and Sabre, with each holding two victories and two losses.

In the semi-main, 3-2 Shota Umino takes on 2-3 SANADA.

2-3 Tetsuya Naito vs. 3-2 Gabe Kidd, 1-4 Great-O-Khan vs. 5-0 EVIL, plus 2-3 Callum Newman vs. 1-4 Jake Lee round out today’s G1 Climax tournament matches.

Today’s undercard bouts:

  • Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • El Phantasmo & Jado vs. Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku
  • Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano vs. David Finlay & Gedo
  • Shoma Kato, Katsuya Murahsima, Tomoaki Honma & Hirooki Goto vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Jeff Cobb, HENARE & Francesco Akira

Today’s show streams on NJPW World beginning at 2 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

Recommended Matches

Tetsuya Naito vs. Gabe Kidd – I would consider this a very good Naito match, which is becoming rarer by the day. They played into Kidd’s strengths and covered Naito’s weaknesses quite well. This isn’t a must watch match, but if your here, it might be worth checking out if you’re a fan of either guy.

Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – This was one of the best matches of the tournament. It was filled with intense sequences, slick transitions, and fantastic work on a narrative level. Not a second of your time will be wasted here either. This match was efficient, well paced, and an all-round breezy watch. This one is definitely worth going out of your way for.

**********

Undercard Results

Konosuke Takeshita, Francesco Akira, HENARE & Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto, Katsuya Murashima, Shoma Kato & Tomoaki Honma

Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated David Finlay & Gedo

TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura defeated El Phantasmo & Jado

BUSHI & Yota Tsuji defeated Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

**********

G1 Climax Results

Jake Lee defeated Callum Newman

This worked well enough. Newman tried his best tog be dazzling, Lee kept it simple in response. Would I recommend seeking this out? No. But was this a fine match. Sure.

This match opened fast, but neither man could connect with offense. After the early whiffs, they turned to more basic wrestling in an attempt to get the action started. A boot from Newman sent Lee to the floor, which he followed with an attempted dive. Lee interrupted the dive, opening the door to an assault on the floor.

Lee maintained his control from the floor inside the ring with basic offense. With a strong lead, he taunted Newman, allowing him to take free, unprotected shots. This backfired, as Newman was given time to recover, which he used to deliver a double stomp to the back to a prone Lee.

Newman filled his rally with his typical flashy offense. In response, Lee threw Newman to the floor. Newman quickly responded on the outside with a dive, maintaining his momentum before returning to the ring.

Newman’s lead lasted until he attempted the OsCutter. Lee reversed the finish and hit a choke slam for a near fall. When Lee tried to follow up, Newman launched into another short rally, only for Lee to catch him with a Face Break Shot. Lee then pinned Newman to win the match.

This win puts Lee at 4 points.

Great-O-Khan defeated EVIL

This was an impressively bad match. The constant interference is one thing, but it was followed by a totally unearned finish.

EVIL opened the match by rushing O-Khan, grabbing him by his braid, and throwing him to the floor. On the outside, EVIL dominated O-Khan, slamming him into the barricades and the seats. After a moment of interference from Togo, O-Khan barely beat the referee’s count. Once O-Khan was back in the ring, EVIL distracted the referee by threatening to choke him with a shirt, only to choke him with a wire once the official’s back was turned.

O-Khan eventually landed a quick suplex to reverse the momentum of the match. He then drove EVIL into the corner before securing a hold in the middle of the ring. EVIL freed himself by bitting O-Khan, reversing the momentum with underhanded tactics again.

When EVIL attempted Darkness Falls, O-Khan reversed into a throw. O-Khan locked in another hold, but EVIL pulled down the referee, allowing Togo to hit the ring. Togo attacked O-Khan with a chair before offering him back to EVIL. EVIL then locked in a sharpshooter, forcing O-Khan to the ropes.

When EVIL attempted Everything is Evil, O-Khan reversed, driving EVIL face-first into the mat. O-Khan then wrestled EVIL to the mat and locked in an arm hold in the center of the ring. When EVIL looked to be in trouble, Togo pulled the referee to the floor and launched into a full-fledged beatdown, ending with a Magic Killer.

O-Khan kicked out of their tandem finish, only for Togo to interfere again moments later. O-Khan responded with a plancha to Togo before returning to the ring. Back inside, EVIL whipped him into an exposed corner twice and hit a lariat for a nearfall. EVIL attempted his finish again, but O-Khan escaped and hit the eliminator. O-Khan then pinned EVIL and won the match.

O-Khan also advances to 4 points.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Gabe Kidd

This was easily the match of the night so far. They worked around Naito’s weaknesses excellently while maintaining a lot of the intensity that makes Kidd matches so great. Very good.

Kidd opened the match by clubbing Naito with heavy strikes before taking action to the floor. On the outside, Kidd kept up his pressure for a moment before taunting Naito. When Kidd attempted to bring Naito back in the ring, Naito returned the favor, rolling out of the ring, baiting Kidd, and mocking him in typical Naito fashion. This strategy allowed Naito to take control of the match.

The match spilled to the floor, where Kidd was able to retake control. He threw Naito into the sea of chairs, where he continued to mock the IWGP World Champion. Kidd then piled up chairs and barricades, which he attempted to suplex Naito into. Naito reversed the suplex and threw Kidd into the chairs himself. Kidd fired back by dropping Naito onto the apron and spitting in his face.

Back in the ring, Kidd took mount and unloaded on Naito with heavy closed fist strikes, forcing the referee to intervene. Kidd then locked in a Boston crab in an attempt to humiliate the champion. When Kidd tried to follow up, Naito reversed into an awkward partial Destino.

A leg sweep sent Kidd crashing into the corner. Naito followed up with a kick and Esperanza. As Naito looked to escalate, Kidd answered with a nasty suplex that resulted in a match reset.

Naito spat in Kidd’s face, returning the favor from earlier in the match. Naito then landed a strike, which Kidd was quick to answer. Kidd tried for the Mad Man Bomb, but Naito reversed with a rana. Naito then unloaded on Kidd’s neck and went for Destino. Instead of delivering his finish by driving Kidd on his head, Naito trapped Kidd with a schoolboy roll-up and won the match.

Naito heads towards the top of the pack with this win, leaving him with 6 points.

SANADA defeated Shota Umino

After a quick opening sequence, SANADA threw Umino to the floor. On the outside, SANADA utilized the barricades to gain and maintain control over Umino before returning to the ring. Back inside, he preserved his lead with simple offense.

A sudden dropkick from Umino allowed him to challenge SANADA’s lead. Umino upped the intensity significantly, landing much more impactful moves after securing the lead, culminating with a DDT to the apron that sent SANADA to the floor. A dropkick from the top rope and an exploder suplex scored Umino a two count.

A SANADA dropkick ended Umino’s offense, allowing SANADA to connect with some of his own. SANADA landed a plancha before throwing Umino back in the ring. SANADA then set up the Skull End. Unfortunately for SANADA, this left Umino in the perfect position for his reverse twist and shout.

SANADA attempted a shining wizard, but Umino caught him in the STF. SANADA escaped by reaching the ropes and challenged Umino’s followup with a magic screw. SANADA then hit the shining wizard, but Umino blocked the rounding body press with his knees.

Umino landed a knee strike to the back of SANADA to jumpstart his rally. He missed the follow-up blaze blade, leading to a back-and-forth. SANADA landed the shining wizard again, but Umino held on. This push and pull continued until Umino landed his DDT for a nearfall. Umino managed to follow up with a blaze blade, only for SANADA to reverse into the O’Connor roll. This pin trapped Umino, leaving SANADA with the win.

SANADA advances to 6 points as well, making it very crowded toward the upper-middle of the block.

Shingo Takagi defeated Zack Sabre Jr.

This match was great. This was the best Shingo performance in ages and a fantastic outing from ZSJ. It built perfectly to the end and was an absolute breeze. One of the best matches of the tournament.

The feeling out process of this match opened hot, with both men trying to gain the upper hand without slowing down. Once the match did slow down, ZSJ was able to grapple his way into a suplex, but Shingo answered with a tackle. Shingo followed up with a suplex of his own before taking control on the mat.

A neck crank followed by a dropkick to the head from ZSJ allowed him to take the momentum from Shingo. ZSJ then took Shingo to the mat, working him over with various chokes before Shingo fired back with a suplex.

Shingo forced ZSJ in the corner and unloaded on ZSJ with strikes. Shingo kept up the pace with high-impact offense until ZSJ reversed a sliding lariat into an arm crank. ZSJ then began to focus the arm, perhaps to prevent the threat of Shingo’s pumping bomber.

Shingo dropped ZSJ to retake the lead after receiving a lot of attention on his arm. He then lifted ZSJ to the top rope and delivered a superplex to cement a lead. Shingo landed a sliding lariat, but the follow-up from Shingo failed as his targeted arm slowed his response.

ZSJ then took advantage again and focused solely on the arm. Shingo was forced to answer with a pumping bomber, but it did as much damage to him as to ZSJ. ZSJ tried to respond by keeping up the attack, but Shingo caught him with Made in Japan, resulting in a nearfall.

Shingo tried for a pumping bomber again, but ZSJ reversed into the Zack Driver; Shingo kicked out. This was followed by a striking battle that Shingo ended with a pumping bomber. Shingo attempted to follow up on his finish, but ZSJ reversed into the sleeper. ZSJ transitioned into an arm breaker and a triangle when the sleeper failed. With Shingo fading, the referee walked away, looking like he would call the match. Shingo responded by pulling the referee down, powering up, and landing Last of the Dragon. Shingo then pinned ZSJ to win the match.

Another man joins the 6 point club with Shingo’s win.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night eight live results: Takeshita vs. Finlay

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW G1 Climax 34 B Block action continues today in Yamaguchi with five tournament matches.

In the main event, 3-1 Konosuke Takeshita faces 2-2 David Finlay. Takeshita is tied atop B Block with Yuya Uemura for the lead at 6 points, while Finlay is one of six competitors in the Block stuck at 4 points.

2-2 Hirooki Goto takes on 2-2 Ren Narita in the semi-main event spot on today’s card.

2-2 Jeff Cobb faces 1-3 E Phantasmo in another B Block bout on the show.

Uemura brings his 3-1 record into a matchup with 2-2 HENARE on today’s card.

2-2 Oleg Boltin/Boltin Oleg takes on 1-3 Yota Tsuji in the other tournament bout on the show.

Today’s undercard:

  • Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. SANADA & TAKA Michinoku
  • Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman vs. Dick Togo & EVIL
  • Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee vs. Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima

**********

  • BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Gabe Kidd & Jake Lee) defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
  • United Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan) defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma defeated Just 5 Guys (SANADA & TAKA Michinoku)
  • Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Yota Tsuji defeated Oleg Boltin

This match was a rock-solid outing from both guys. Nothing bombastic, but very sound, from start to finish.

Oleg opened the match by rushing Tsuji, only for Tsuji to reverse the momentum in his favor moments after the opening bell. Tsuji then took his time, slowly working over Oleg to establish a strong lead.

A sudden slam from Oleg opened the door for a rally. He then threw Tsuji across the ring before attempting a suplex. While trying to lift Tsuji, Oleg was stuffed, resulting in another turn in momentum. Tsuji was quick to follow up with the Boston crab and a curb stomp for a nearfall.

Tsuji attempted his curb stomp from the top rope but missed, leaving Oleg free to land a shotgun dropkick in response. When Tsuji tried to answer with a superkick, Oleg landed a lariat and Kamikaze for a false finish.

As Oleg attempted his finish again, Tsuji wiggled free. Once on his feet, he had enough separation to land an amazing Gene Blaster spear. Tsuji then pinned Oleg to win the match.

Tsuji hangs on to hope, advancing to 4 points.

HENARE defeated Yuya Uemura

This was definitely an ambitious match that I don’t think came together in the end.

After a basic feeling-out process, Uemura established a lead with an arm drag and some basic strikes. HENARE fired back with strikes of his own, which left him in the driver’s seat. After a while in control, HENARE dropped Uemura with a berzerker bomb, scoring a nearfall and submitting his lead.

A quick arm drag and a dropkick from Uemura turned the match around. When Uemura tried to follow up with a crossbody, HENARE caught him with a drop, resetting the match. A prolonged strike exchange in the middle of the ring followed, ending with a suplex from Uemura. Henare bounced back with a lariat, scoring another nearfall.

A quick dropkick from Uemura opened the door for multiple crossbodies from Uemura. When he attempted his third, HENARE blocked, but failed to follow up. Instead, Uemura landed another suplex, resulting in another nearfall.

HENARE drove Uemura into the corner, leading to a quick back and forth. HENARE ended the sequence with a Rampage, but Uemura kicked out of the pin attempt that followed. After holding on, Uemura hit a dragon suplex for a false finish of his own. Uemura tried following up with the deadbolt but was cut off by a leaping headbutt and Streets of Rage, leaving HENARE with the win.

HENARE ties block leaders with 6 points.

Jeff Cobb defeated El Phantasmo

Dare I say it, this was a good ELP match. It worked to his strengths without playing needlessly into the GoD depression storyline.

As soon as the match began, ELP tried to steal a win with a quick roll-up. Once that didn’t work, he kept up the pace with a tope. When he tried a second dive, Cobb cut him off. ELP managed to stay ahead by driving Cobb into the corner, which he followed with a moonsault to the floor.

Back in the ring, a suplex from Cobb reset the match in his favor. From here, Cobb dominated ELP, landing power move after power move with basically no pushback. A massive superplex scored Cobb a nearfall.

As Cobb looked to close, he lifted ELP into a powerbomb. ELP then reversed into a sudden pin, nearly eeking out a win. Cobb then tried for Tour of the Islands, and again, ELP reversed. After landing Sudden Death, a senton, and a moonsault, ELP managed to secure a lead of his own late in the match.

Just as it looked like ELP had a chance, Cobb cut him off with an F-5000. Cobb then punished ELP with ELP with strikes before taunting ELP for lacking friends. This fired ELP up, leading to a back-and-forth sequence. With a bit of momentum, ELP then attempted a springboard from the center rope, but Cobb caught him with Tour of the Islands and won the match.

Cobb joins the top of the pack with 6 points.

Ren Narita defeated Hirooki Goto

There were multiple points in this match where I was having a blast. In the end, I don’t know if I’d recommend seeking this out, but I’m close. For a House of Torture Narita match, it was rather great.

Narita tried rushing down Goto as soon as the bell rang, but Goto withstood the blitz. Narita fled to the outside to cool off anything resembling a Goto lead. On the floor, Narita caught Goto with a boot before driving him into the ring post, slamming him into the barricade, choking him with a rod, and striking him with a chair. Back in the ring, Narita continued advancing with basic heelish holds.

Goto eventually landed a lariat to reset the match. A wheel kick and a suplex left Goto with a lead, but Narita fired back with an illegal choke and a suplex of his own to stay on top. Narita then locked in a choke to secure a strong lead while slowing the match.

Goto hit a Ushigoroshi that left Narita on the backfoot, but Narita landed a guillotine knee to buy separation moments later. Narita rolled to the floor, where he grabbed the rod from earlier. This led to a back-and-forth with the referee. After a scuffle with Goto, the referee was bumped, leaving Narita free to grab his pushup bar. Goto challenged Narita with the rod from earlier, leading to a weapon-based showdown that he won.

Narita tried a low blow, but Goto blocked it. Goto followed up with a barrage of headbutts and a lariat, only for Narita to land the low blow anyway. Narita then landed the Double Cross and pinned Goto to win the match.

With this win, Narita joins the 6-point club.

David Finlay defeated Konosuke Takeshita

This match had its fantastic moments, but like the last, it feels hard to recommend (especially considering its extended runtime). When a match goes from a passionate arrangement to an overplayed Gedo sketch within seconds, I’ll never urge you to seek it out.

The match opened with a tie-up that Takeshita ended with a firm strike. Finlay tried to fire back, but Takeshita took control with a headlock, which he used to take Finlay to the mat before driving him in the corner.

Takeshita climbed to the second rope, but Finlay shoved him to the floor, where the match was flipped on its head. On the outside, Finlay drove Takeshita into the barricades and connected with forearms to establish control. Back in the ring, Finlay whipped Takeshita into the corner before picking him apart with a simple, deliberate offense.

Takeshita landed a leaping clothesline to buy a moment of separation after an extended period on the back foot. Takeshita managed to follow up with the brainbuster to establish a lead of his own, but after missing a knee, Takeshita fell back to the floor.

Back on the outside, Finlay started another assault similar to his opening attack. After driving Takeshita over the barricade, Finlay celebrated with Gabe Kidd. This hesitation gave Takeshita enough time to escape Finlay’s control. Takeshita then drove Finlay into the ring post. Takeshita followed up by piling chairs on the Global Champion and landing a dive that nearly scored a ring-out win.

Back in the ring, Takeshita landed a frog splash for a nearfall. He tried to follow up with a senton, but Finlay reversed with a brutal knee extension. The follow-up Irish Curse backbreaker from Finlay scored him a nearfall.

Finlay pulled Takeshita to the apron, where he tried for a piledriver. Takeshita avoided the driver but was thrown into the ring post instead. Finlay stayed on top of Takeshita with Dominator for another nearfall. Finlay landed a rolling forearm, but Takeshita landed his knee in response. Finlay bounced back immediately with Oblivion for a false finish.

Takeshita accidentally delivered a forearm to the back of the referee. Finlay followed up with a buckle bomb, but Takeshita answered with one of his own. Takeshita then pinned Finlay, but the referee was outside the ring, trying to recover (while being distracted by Gedo). Takeshita tried grabbing the referee, allowing Finlay to capitalize with a shillelagh shot.

When Finlay attempted Overkill, Takesthita reversed with a forearm. Takeshita’s follow-up was interrupted by Gedo, but Takeshita managed to hold on regardless. Finlay accidentally bumped Gedo off the apron, allowing Takesthita to hit the posion rana and a Blue Thunder Bomb. As Takesthita tried for Raging Fire, Finlay slipped free. This allowed him to land Overkill and win the match.

Finlay advances to 6 points. This makes him one of five men at the top of B Block.

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night two results: Tsuji vs. Finlay

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Nine tournament matches are set for night two of NJPW’s G1 Climax 34.

In the main event, Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Yota Tsuji will face Bullet Club’s David Finlay in a B Block matchup.

Tsuji and Finlay have squared off once before in singles competition in their careers, with Finlay scoring the victory.

18 of 20 competitors will be in action on tonight’s card, with B Block’s Konosuke Takeshita and Jeff Cobb the only tournament wrestlers not taking part in today’s show. As with yesterday, every bout in today’s lineup is a tournament match.

The full card for Sunday’s show:

  • B Block: Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Yuya Uemura
  • A Block: Jake Lee vs. EVIL
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Gabe Kidd
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. HENARE
  • A Block: SANADA vs. Callum Newman

**********

Recommended Matches
HENARE vs. Oleg Boltin – This was a rad hoss match. I really can’t get enough of Oleg.

Yuya Uemura vs. Hirooki Goto – This is probably the match with best executed narrative of the tournament so far. It also seems as if Uemura is also finding his footing again, so that’s exciting.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito – This is one of the better Naito matches as of late. It’s exactly the kind of match he needs to be working. It’s filled with slick sequences and felt like it could end any moment.

Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay – If you enjoy main event New Japan, this is for you. It built to a crescendo filled with reversals and potential finishes.

SANADA defeated Callum Newman

SANADA worked a somewhat meaner match here tonight than usual, building on his shocking sub-five-minute loss from last night. The match itself was a fine little thing. I would say it outperformed my expectations.

Newman and SANADA opened the match with a basic feeling-out process until a dropkick sent SANADA to the floor. Newman attempted a dive in follow-up but missed, allowing SANADA to answer with a magic screw. He then dropped Newman on the barricade before bringing the match back to the ring.

In the ring, Newman connected with a stomp to the back that opened SANADA up to a bit of offense. It only lasted a moment, though, as SANADA cut him off with a magic screw, bringing the match back into the hands of the former World’s champion.

SANADA hit a shining wizard but missed the rounding body press, leaving Newman free to answer with a sudden knee strike. Newman followed up with a quick dropkick in the corner, but the double stomp follow-up whiffed. SANADA tried to reply with a shining wizard, but that missed, too. After Newman overshot another kick, SANDA managed to lock in skull end, but Newman reversed into a cutter. Newman attempted to close with the OsCutter, but SANADA cut him off, landed Deadfall, and pinned him.

SANADA secures his first win of the tournament, putting him at 2 points.

HENARE defeats Oleg Boltin

This match was great. It was super simple, to the point, and fantastically executed.

A powerful collar-and-elbow opened this match. Once that proved insufficient, they moved to trading strikes. Once that wasn’t enough, they moved to tackles. Oleg’s tackle was enough to knock HENARE to the floor, securing the first lead of the match.

HENARE answered Oleg’s lead with high leg kicks. Once Oleg fell to his knees, HENARE took off his head with a kick to the jaw. HENARE then placed Oleg in the corner and unloaded with more strikes. Oleg answered with a powerful slam, which forced HENARE into the corner.

Oleg threw HENARE across the ring before attempting his finish, but HENARE slipped free. HENARE then landed a kick from the rope, knocking Oleg to the mat. HENARE followed up with a disgusting knee strike that rattled Oleg’s jaw.

With the finish in sight, HENARE waited in the corner, but somehow, Oleg cut him off with a dropkick. Oleg responded with a kamikaze, scoring a convincing nearfall. To my knowledge, this was the first time someone has kicked out of that move.

Having survived Oleg’s finish, HENARE slipped free of the second attempt, leading to a struggle for control. HENARE tried for a submission but couldn’t get it; instead, a back-and-forth strike battle followed. HENARE won out with a strong kick and a flying headbutt. He then landed Streets of Rage and pinned Oleg to win the match.

HENARE now leads B Block with 4 points.

Gabe Kidd defeated Great-O-Khan

I almost enjoyed this match, but it had too many issues in the end to look past. O-Khan’s performance was above average, and Kidd was decent. The structure of the match really hurt it, though. There was just far too much going on.

Kidd dared O-Khan to wrestle as the match opened but caught him with a few strikes as soon as there was an opening. O-Khan answered Kidd’s cuteness with a throw, a suplex, and a lariat that knocked Kidd to the floor. O-Khan then drove Kidd into the barricade, daring Kidd to a brawl instead of a match classic, to which Kidd accepted.

Kidd and O-Khan brawled from one side of the crowd to the other. By the time they emerged, Kidd had control. He then led O-Khan back to the ring, where he drove O-Khan into the post before calling out Hiromu Takahashi.

As soon as the match returned to the ring, O-Khan dumped Kidd to the floor. O-Khan landed a plancha, securing a lead before throwing Kidd into a barricade and a sea of chairs. O-Khan then tied up Kidd with chairs before dragging him back to the ring.

Back in the ring, a suplex attempt led to both men falling over the top rope and crashing over the top rope back to the floor. As the count began to climb, the men started trading strikes, meandering away from the ring. Once the count hit 19, they sprinted together to beat the referee.

Back inside, they traded strikes and German suplexes before O-Khan hit a GFO to establish a lead. He then tried for the eliminator but failed, leading to a scramble for control. In the end, Kidd won out with a massive lariat that won him the match.

Kidd is on the board with 2 points.

Ren Narita defeated El Phantasmo

ELP has lost all his friends, and he is sad. That is the story of his G1.

A quick boot from Narita opened this match, catching the depressed ELP off guard. He managed to rebound with a dropkick to reset the match in his favor.

After knocking Narita to the mat and landing a plancha, ELP started trying for more and more dives. Eventually, ELP missed, opening the door back up for Narita. Narita whipped ELP into the barricade and hit him with a chair after distracting the referee.

Back in the ring, Narita began to brutalize ELP’s leg. As ELP fought back through the attack, he continued to use acrobatic offense while attempting to sell the damage done to his limb (until he fired up and began jumping on it).

After stomping on Narita in the corner, ELP grabbed Narita’s pushup bar. Narita dared him to use it. After thinking about it, he decided not to. Narita tried to follow up with the Double Cross, but ELP reversed. Narita still maintained control, though with a quick guillotine.

Narita climbed to the top rope, where ELP cut him off with a rana. ELP followed up with a Thunderkiss 86 for a nearfall. Before he could follow up, the referee was shoved to the ground. Narita then hit Double Cross and won the match.

Ren Narita has slipped his first 2 points.

EVIL defeated Jake Lee

Ah, this is what I’ve come to expect from Jake Lee and EVIL. This match was slow, tedious, and filled with cheap cheating. This was horrible.

Before the action could begin, EVIL offered Lee a “Too Sweet” in traditional Bullet Club fashion. It looked like Lee would accept, but instead, he poked EVIL and Dick Togo in the eyes, Three Stooges style. He then threw EVIL to the floor and threatened to stomp Togo below the belt before letting him go.

Once the match officially began, Lee choked EVIL against the rope, leading to him fleeing almost imidatly. When Lee followed him, EVIL whipped him into the barricade and choked him with cables. Back in the ring, EVIL maintained his lead by distracting the referee and utilizing Togo.

After minutes on the back foot, Lee fought back with a Boston crab. This led to a fake bell ring, a ref bump, and Togo hitting the ring. Lee managed to fight through the interference as the referee recovered, leading to a chokeslam for a nearfall. During the scuffle, EVIL managed to rake Lee’s eyes, leading to him missing the Face Break Shot. Once he missed his finish, Togo threw powder in his eyes, EVIL landed Everything is Evil and pinned Lee to win the match.

EVIL is now the A Block leader with 4 points.

Yuya Uemura defeated Hirooki Goto

This was a rock-solid generational gap match. Goto tried his best to learn Uemura, but failed.

Goto wrestled Uemura to the ground as the match began, but Uemura held his own in the opening scramble. Goto then tried to ground Uemura with a shoulder tackle, but Uemura fired back with a dropkick. Uemura then placed Goto in the corner, where he unloaded with strikes that forced the referee to become involved. This unsportsmanlike behavior upset Goto, leading to a fiery response filled with harsh strikes.

Goto continued his act of discipline by locking in a Bostin crab in the middle of the ring. Once Uemura escaped, he landed an arm drag and a dropkick to reset the match. Uemura flew too close to the sun again when he climbed to the top rope; Goto avoided his dive and responded with a quick Ushigoroshi to regain his footing once more.

After a strike exchange, Goto hit a GTW for a nearfall. When Goto tried following up with a knee strike, Uemura caught him and answered with a headbutt. He tried for the deadbolt suplex, but Goto reversed, leading to a quick back and forth with both men slipping in and out of each other’s finish. In the end, it was Uemura who was able to hit the deadbolt suplex, which won him the match.

Uemura keeps the pace with 4 points.

Shota Umino defeated Shingo Takagi

I didn’t love this. The mid-match pacing felt sluggish, and it picked up at the end. This was the second-longest match of the tournament so far, and I felt every second.

This match was all Shingo until the final stretch. The narrative was that Umino refused to quit, but Shingo outclassed him in every way.

Umino rushed Shingo as the match began, hitting him with a dropkick and a flurry of forearms in the corner in an attempt to gain an early advantage. Shingo fired back with forearms of his own to fight out of the corner. From here, the pair fought to the apron, where Shingo dropped Umino on his back before whipping him into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Shingo utilized basic holds to wear down Umino. Umino answered with a sudden DDT to the apron. When Umino attempted to follow up, Shingo suplexed him into the corner, retaking control. He then used slightly more impactful offense to stay ahead until Umino landed an exploder suplex from the top rope.

As soon it looked like Shota had a chance, Shingo landed a lariat to retake the lead. This time, he landed a superplex, a sliding lariat, and a senton, all in quick succession. A quick DDT from Umino allowed him another moment to breathe, but again, Shingo responded by driving him into the corner moments later. The pumping bomber that followed was the icing on the cake.

Knowing that the end was in sight, Shingo landed another pumping bomber. He then hit Made in Japan, but Umino kicked out. When he tried for Last of the Dragon but, Umino wiggled free. Umino then managed to hit another DDT to buy even more time.

Shingo managed to hit another partial pumping bomber, but Umino fired back with a half-dragon suplex. Umino then landed Blaze Blade for a nearfall of his own. When Umino tried for Death Rider, Shingo blocked, leading to a quick back and forth. Shingo then ran at Umino; Umino caught him and landed the Death Rider, leaving him with the win.

Umino has earned his first 2 points.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito

This was a match that managed to cover Naito’s growing weaknesses exceptionally well. The sequences were slick and smart, and it felt like it could end at any moment. Great stuff.

ZSJ offered Naito a LIJ salute to open the match; Naito responded by spitting in ZSJ’s face. ZSJ then clobbered Naito with some elbows before Naito tried for a quick pin. This led to a sequence of rapid pin attempts from both men, any of which could’ve believably ended the match.

An exchange on the mat that initially favored Naito eventually left ZSJ in control. ZSJ then leveled Naito with uppercuts before returning to some methodical grappling. When Naito tried to challenge ZSJ’s control, ZSJ tied him up in the rope and dragged him to the floor to continue his assault.

A quick hangman’s neckbreaker to the floor put Naito in control for the first time in this match. Naito then turned to the neck, as you would expect. But just as Naito found his groove, he paused, allowing ZSJ to catch him and bring him to the mat.

ZSJ worked over Naito until he was able to land PK. ZSJ tried to follow up with the Zack Driver, but Naito reversed into Destino. This took so much out of both men that it effectively reset the match.

From a standing position, both men began trading strikes. This lasted until Naito dropped ZSJ with elbows to the neck. Two quick pin attempts followed. Once that didn’t work, another short strike exchange happened. Then ZSJ trapped Naito in a pin and won the match.

After the match, ZSJ posed Naito’s belt before he walked to the back.

ZSJ is still undefeated, having defeated the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and earning his 4th point in A Block.

Yota Tsuji defeated David Finlay

Tonight’s main event opened Tsuji, landing a rana that sent Finlay to the floor and a follow-up rana. Tsuji then whipped Finlay into the barricade to establish a strong lead, which he maintained by locking in a Boston crab.

Finlay spat in Tsuji’s face to buy some separation, which he used to drive Tsuji to the top of the ring post. He then tossed Tsuji across the ring before landing some knee strikes to Tsuji’s midsection. A stomp from Tsuji in the corner seemingly stopped Finlay’s offense, but he quickly responded by shoving Tsuji to the ground. On the outside, Finlay shoved Tsuji into the barricades and threw him into the ring post. Back in the ring, Finlay landed a Dominator for a two-count.

When Finlay tried for Oblivion, Tsuji reversed into a suplex. He then delivered a second stomp. When two stomps proved insufficient, Tsuji tried a third. A brutal knee and a power drive from Tsuji seemingly furthered this lead by setting up the Gene Blast.

When Tsuji attempted tried for his Gene Blast spear, Finlay rolled through and hit Oblivion; Tsuji kicked out. Finlay followed up with three powerbombs, setting up Overkill. When he tried for the Overkill, Tsuji rolled him up, nearly stealing a win. Finlay answered with a lariat.

After five forearms from Finlay, Tsuji threw a headbutt that rocked Finlay. This opened the door for a sudden Gene Blast, but Finlay rolled onto his stomach. Tsuji didn’t waste time, though; he followed his spear with his rope-assisted stomp Malo Crash and pinned Finlay, winning the match.

Tsuji ends the night by getting points on the board. He sits at 2 points.

A Block Standings

EVIL – 4 Points
Zack Sabre Jr. – 4 Points
SANADA – 2 Points
Callum Newman – 2 Points
Gabe Kidd – 2 Points
Jake Lee – 2 Points
Shota Umino – 2 Points
Shingo Takagi – 2 Points
Great-O-Khan – 0 Points
Tetsuya Naito – 0 Points

B Block Standings

HENARE – 4 Points
Yuya Uemura – 4 Points
Oleg Boltin – 2 Points
Ren Narita – 2 Points
Yota Tsuji – 2 Points
Jeff Cobb – 2 Points
Konosuke Takeshita – 2 Points
David Finlay – 0 Points
Hirooki Goto – 0 Points
El Phantasmo – 0 Points

Updated NJPW G1 Climax 34 standings

Posted on by F4W Staff

G1 Climax 34 kicked off today in Osaka.

Both the A and B Blocks were in action on Saturday. Results from today’s show are available below.

G1 Climax 34 results from July 20, 2024 —

  • B Block: Oleg Boltin defeated Ren Narita 
  • A Block: Callum Newman defeated Shota Umino
  • B Block: HENARE defeated El Phantasmo
  • A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan
  • B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto
  • A Block: Jake Lee defeated SANADA
  • B Block: Yuya Uemura defeated David Finlay
  • A Block: EVIL defeated Gabe Kidd
  • B Block: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yota Tsuji
  • A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated Tetsuya Naito 

Our live coverage of today’s event is available here.

The following are updated A Block & B Block standings for the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament following today’s event.

A Block —

  • Jake Lee (1-0) 2 points
  • Callum Newman (1-0) 2 points
  • Shingo Takagi (1-0) 2 points
  • Zack Sabre Jr. (1-0) 2 points
  • EVIL (1-0) 2 points
  • Gabe Kidd (0-1) 0 points
  • SANADA (0-1) 0 points
  • Great-O-Khan (0-1) 0 points
  • Shota Umino (0-1) 0 points
  • Tetsuya Naito (0-1) 0 points

B Block —

  • Oleg Boltin (1-0) 2 points
  • Yuya Uemura (1-0) 2 points
  • Jeff Cobb (1-0) 2 points
  • HENARE (1-0) 2 points
  • Konosuke Takeshita (1-0) 2 points
  • El Phantasmo (0-1) 0 points
  • Ren Narita (0-1) 0 points
  • Hirooki Goto (0-1) 0 points
  • Yota Tsuji (0-1) 0 points
  • David Finlay (0-1) 0 points

The tournament continues on Sunday with another show from Osaka with both A and B Block matches scheduled.

Sunday, July 21 G1 Climax 34 lineup —

  • A Block: SANADA vs. Callum Newman
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. HENARE
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Gabe Kidd
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita
  • A Block: Jake Lee vs. EVIL
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Yuya Uemura
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night one live results: Naito vs. Shingo

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW’s G1 Climax 34 tournament kicks off today with 10 tournament matches in Osaka.

Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi will square off in the main event in an A Block battle.

The meeting is just the second career singles bout between Naito, the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and Shingo, a former IWGP World title holder. Naito won their first and only meeting in the G1 back in 2019.

Every match in Saturday’s lineup is a G1 tournament bout.

Saturday’s full card:

  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Yota Tsuji vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • A Block: Gabe Kidd vs. EVIL
  • B Block: Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: SANADA vs. Jake Lee
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. HENARE
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Callum Newman
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. Ren Narita

***********

Oleg Boltin defeated Ren Narita

This match was a blast. The shenanigans from Narita made Oleg look super sympathetic. The structure worked very well. Good stuff.

Oleg came to the ring wearing new gear, showing off Kazak colors. It’s no longer a question; Oleg is no young lion.

The match began with Narita jumping Oleg. Oleg tried his best to fight off Narita but was cut off with a chair attack. From there, Narita started to work the arm, targeting it with objects and general offense.

Oleg eventually fired back with a dropkick. This slowed Narita’s somewhat, but an armbar put Oleg back on the defensive. Oleg powered through the armbar and landed a verdict. He followed up with the kamikaze to win the match.

Oleg is on the board with two points.

Callum Newman defeated Shota Umino

This was a fairly breezy call-and-response match.

This match opened with a striking battle. From there, both men ran at each other before Umino dropped Newman with a kick. Newman fired back with a Boston crab. Once Umino slipped free, he landed another dropkick before locking in a dropkick to slow down this fast start.

After Umino landed another dropkick, Newman responded with a quick kick. From here, both men traded quick strikes until Umino managed to land a cutter. Newman answered with a couple of quick pin attempts before landing a Spanish fly for a nearfall.

A dropkick to the back of Umino left him prone to a stomp to the back. Newman followed up with an OsCutter and pinned Umino to win the match.

In a bit of a surprise, Newman earns his first two points in the opening round.

HENARE defeated El Phantasmo

HENARE forced ELP into the corner after the opening bell. ELP fired back by sending HENARE to the floor, where he landed a tope. Back in the ring, the pair traded strikes, allowing HENARE to establish control for the first time.

HENARE attempted to land a lariat, but ELP reversed into one of his own. When ELP tried to follow up, he was cut off with a knee and a bezerker. The pair then traded strikes again, leading to an intense back and forth.

A sudden Sudden Death from ELP scored him a nearfall. He followed up with a burning hammer and a splash for another.

HENARE fired back a drop and a tackle for a nearfall of his own and a reset in his favor. He then landed Streets of Rage and pinned ELP, winning the match.

HENARE starts off strong with two points.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan

This was one of the best O-Khan performances in ages. The opening of this match was off the wall, and the rest of it held up quite well. Another solid watch.

A quick scramble opened the match before O-Khan dumped ZSJ to the floor. On the outside, O-Khan challenged ZSJ, which led to some exciting grappling. O-Khan escaped ZSJ’s hold by slamming him into the barricade, leading to a brawl in the crowd as the referee’s count climbed. O-Khan dropped ZSJ with a body shot, nearly forcing the cutout.

Back in the ring, ZSJ managed to reverse momentum with some of his signature offense. O-Khan fired back with a bit of wrestling of his own, utilizing throws to ground ZSJ. A hook to the throat of ZSJ floored him, and the follow-up German only cemented O-Khan’s lead.

ZSJ tried catching O-Khan in a hold, only for O-Khan to reverse into a powerbomb. O-Khan managed to lock in his claw to set up the eliminator. When he attempted the move, ZSJ reversed into the DDT. He then landed the Zack Driver, winning the match in mere moments.

ZSJ’s G1 begins with a win and two points.

Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto

This was a good big-man sprint.

Both men traded strikes to open the match. A short clothesline from Cobb left him ahead of Goto, which he used to land more substantive offense. Goto fired back by clubbing Cobb with more strikes, eventually dropping Cobb with a clothesline of his own.

Goto landed an ushigoroshi for a two-count. Cobb then blocked the GTR attempt but failed to follow up, leading to a scramble for control filled with quick pins and failed moves. From the chaos, Cobb managed to land Tour of the Islands, winning him the match.

Cobb earns his two points.

Jake Lee defeated SANADA

As an outspoken SANADA skeptic and Jake Lee naysayer, I can’t say I hated this. In fact, I’d say I really liked it. It was bold and left me wanting more.

This match opened up with basic wrestling that Lee ended with a choke slam. SANADA fired back with a magic screw and a rounding body press, effectively taking control of the match.

Lee cut off SANADA’s Shining Wizard attempt and barely escaped the follow-up pin attempt. Lee then hit Face Break Shot, his kick in the corner, and pinned SANADA.

In under five minutes, Jake Lee pinned SANADA to earn two points.

Yuya Uemura defeated David Finlay

Compared to everything else on the card so far, this match felt the most like a classic New Japan match.

Uemura opened the match by taking Finlay to the mat. When he tried standing up, Finlay fired back, throwing Uemura to the floor and slamming him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Finlay maintained his lead, picking apart Uemura with focused offense.

Uemura eventually landed a dropkick to reset the match. He then hit a bulldog before dragging Finlay to the top rope only for Finlay to reverse into a superplex. Finlay then hit a backbreaker running at Uemura, opening the door for a reversal.

Uemura landed a dive to the floor once Finlay attempted to retreat. A chop from the top rope and a follow-up backdrop scored Uemura a two-count. Uemura kept up the pressure with a crossbody and a range before attempting another pin.

Finlay landed a sudden powerbomb for a nearfall. He followed up with a Dominator, which resulted in a convincing nearfall. Uemura responded with a pair of suplex, each scoring a nearfall of his own.

With the end in sight, both men began trading blows. Finlay then hoisted Uemura up and hit him with two turnbuckle powerbombs. When Finlay attempted a third, Uemura reversed into a hurricanrana pin, from which Finlay couldn’t escape.

In another slight surprise, Uemurea wins his first-round match, earning two points.

EVIL defeated Gabe Kidd

This was one of the best EVIL matches in years. It was probably the best match he’d had since joining BULLET CLUB. Fantastic. Even the interference felt intentional and earned. Color me impressed.

Before the match could even begin, Kidd landed a tope con hilo to the floor, taking out Togo and EVIL. He then focused on EVIL, landing andother dive before throwing him into the barricade and grabbing chairs.

EVIL managed to take advantage of Kidd’s chairs, slamming one into Kidd’s face before taking his head off with the other. He then entered the ring, marking the official start of the match.

In the ring, EVIL whipped Kidd into an exposed corner, but Kidd fired back with a head butt and an intense flurry. EVIL answered with a fisherman suplex, keeping Kid on the backfoot.

EVIL landed a massive lariat, only for Kidd to kick out at one. He followed up with a backdrop for a two-count. EVIL tried for a referee assist, but Kidd resisted, landing another lariat for another two-count. A frustrated Kidd threw the referee to the floor, opening the door for HoT interference.

With Kidd in the lead, Togo hit the ring and began to choke him with a wire. EVIL then landed a magic killer with aid from Togo. Once the referee re-entered the ring, EVIL hit Everything is Evil and won the match.

EVIL is on the board with two points.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yota Tsuji

No doubt the world will be raving about this one. It was exactly what you expect from these two: an action-packed sprint.

The match opened with some basic grappling and strikes before Takeshita landed a tope to the floor to establish a lead for the first time. He then slammed Tsuji into the barricade before returning to the ring, where he kept up the pressure with more intense offense.

Tsuji cut off Takesthia’s lead with a rana, which led to a dive of his own. Back in the ring, Tsuji returned the favor, hitting Takeshita with a variety of high-impact offenses.

Once Takesthia had a moment to respond, he caught Tsuji with a brainbuster. The follow-up knee and suplex scored Takeshita, which scored him a convincing nearfall.

The pair eventually worked their way to the top rope. On the top, Takeshita fell to the mat twice. Tsuji then hit Takesthia with a Spanish Fly from the top for a nearfall. Tsuji tried to follow up with the Gene Blast, but Takeshita reversed it into another suplex and a poison-rana. Tsuji answered with a pump kick and a sit-out powerbomb for a match reset.

A striking battle at the fifteen-minute mark ended with a sudden roll-up attempt from Tsuji. Once Takesthia kicked out, he landed a headbutt and a stomp for another nearfall. Tsuji tried to get Gene to blast again but was cut off by a Takesthia knee. Takesthia then hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and Raging Fire before pinning Tsuji to win the match.

Takeshita starts his G1 career off strong with two points.

Shingo Takagi defeated Tetsuya Naito

The opening feeling out process began before the opening bell sounded as Shingo rejected Naito’s LIJ salute. Once the match actually began, the two treaded lightly until Shingo sent Naito to the floor where he whipped him into the barricades, establishing a strong control over the IWGP champion. Back in the ring, Shingo maintained his lead with basic holds and deliberate strikes.

Naito dropped Shingo over his knee for a quick switch in momentum. From here, Naito began to focus on the neck, utilizing all of his typical moves.

After a substantial amount of time on the back foot, Shingo landed a DDT, which he followed with a sliding lariat and a powerbomb. This left Shingo ahead for a moment, but Naito fired back with more neck-based attacks as soon as there was an opening.

Shingo landed a massive STAY DREAM from the top rope after cutting off an overly ambitious Naito. Naito managed to survive, leading to a back-and-forth strike exchange. Shingo won out by dropping Naito with a Pumping Bomber. He followed this with Made and Japan, but Naito managed to kick out.

Shingo hoisted Naito onto his shoulders, only for Naito to slip into a Destino variation. Naito then placed Shingo on the top rope and tried for the Frankensteiner. After hitting it, Naito landed a follow-up tornado DDT before trying another Destino. An awkward back-and-forth followed as both men tried to close the match, ending with a Kawada Driver from Shingo. Naito kicked out. Shingo then hit Last of the Dragon to win the match.

Shingo not only earned two points with this win, but he also pinned the leader of his own faction and the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

NJPW reveals schedule for G1 Climax 34

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While the tournament is still a few months away, NJPW has revealed the full event schedule for G1 Climax 34.

This year’s G1 begins with back-to-back nights in Osaka on July 20 and July 21. It culminates with two nights taking place at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on August 17 and August 18.

There are 19 events in total. Here is the full list of dates:

  • Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21 in Osaka (Edion Arena Osaka)
  • Tuesday, July 23 in Hiroshima (Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall)
  • Thursday, July 25 in Kagawa (Sun Messe Kagawa)
  • Saturday, July 27 in Nagasaki (Dejima Messe Nagasaki)
  • Sunday, July 28 and Monday, July 29 in Fukuoka (Fukuoka International Center)
  • Wednesday, July 31 in Yamaguchi (KDDI Ishin Hall)
  • Saturday, August 3 in Osaka (Yamato University Yamato Arena)
  • Sunday August 4 in Aichi (Dolphins Arena)
  • Tuesday, August 6 and Wednesday, August 7 in Tokyo (Korakuen Hall)
  • Thursday, August 8 in Kanagawa (Yokohama Budokan)
  • Saturday, August 10 in Miyazaki (Xebio Arena Sendai)
  • Monday, August 12 in Niigata (Aore Nagaoka)
  • Wednesday, August 14 in Shizuoka (Hamamatsu Arena)
  • Thursday, August 15 in Chiba (Makuhari Messe)
  • Saturday August 17 and Sunday August 18 in Tokyo (Ryogoku Sumo Hall)

Further details regarding the G1 will be revealed in the coming months.

Tetsuya Naito was crowned the winner of G1 Climax 33 last summer. Using the title shot he received for winning the tournament, Naito defeated SANADA for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 18 this January.

Naito still holds the IWGP World Heavyweight title. He’s defending it against Yota Tsuji at NJPW Sakura Genesis this Saturday (April 6).

Big Audio Nightmare: NJPW G1 Climax wrap-up, great Stardom PPV

Posted on by Adam Summers

The Big Audio Nightmare with Mike Sempervive and I is back to talk about everything happening in the very busy world of Japanese professional wrestling.

This week’s topics include:

  • The final word on this year’s NJPW G1 Climax and what was an incredible final match between Naito and Okada
  • Did that match wash away the disappointment of the rest of the tournament
  • Kiyomiya taking Oiwa back to NOAH and what it means for both of them
  • Our thoughts on a great Stardom pay-per-view and possibly an even better Korakuen Hall show
  • Thoughts on NOAH’s N1 Victory, TJPW’s Princess Cup and more.

Click Here to Listen (sub needed)

Pacific Rim: Fumi Saito’s thoughts on NJPW G1, Asuka’s Stardom comments

Posted on by Jim Valley

The Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast is back.

I get Fumi Saito’s thoughts on this year’s NJPW G1 Climax like the 32-man format, Naito as the winner, SANADA, Kiyomiya’s performance and who he thought stood out.

So much of what we hear and read is from an English-speaking perspective so Fumi offers a perspective different than you’re going to get anywhere else.

From there, he also explains what he thinks Asuka’s recent social media posts about Stardom and the Japanese wrestling scene mean. What’s a work and what’s a shoot?

Plus, we talk the historic Manami Toyota vs. Toshiyo Yamada hair match, Yamada’s career and an update on her today, Koichi Yoshizawa and more.

Click Here to Listen (sub needed)

NJPW G1 Climax 33 finals live results: Okada vs. Naito

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Two NJPW stalwarts will battle for the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in today’s G1 finals.

Kazuchika Okada, a four-time tournament winner, faces Tetsuya Naito, a two-time winner and one-time runner-up, to determine the winner of the 33rd annual G1 Climax tournament. 

This marks a third consecutive finals appearance for Okada, the winner of the 2022, 2021, 2014, and 2012 G1s. A fifth victory would tie him with Masahiro Chono for the most in the three-plus decades of the event. 

Naito returns to the G1 finals for the first time since 2017, when he won his second career G1 by defeating Kenny Omega in the finals. Naito’s first G1 finals win came over Hiroshi Tanahashi in 2013’s tournament, while he lost the 2011 G1 finals to Shinsuke Nakamura. 

Today’s winner will earn the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship currently held by SANADA at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2024. 

Our live coverage of today’s finals begins at 2 a.m. Eastern time.

********** 

Recommended Matches

  • Master Wato, Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma & Yuji Nagata vs. El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita, & Yuto Nakashima – This was another fantastic showcase of the Ren and Umino rivalry.
  • Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Oleg Boltin & Ryusuke Taguchi – This was a great example of TMDK’s potential as a unit and Oleg’s potential as a single.
  • BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji vs. Great-O-Khan, HENARE, Jeff Cobb & Will Ospreay – This was a solid match with a shocking finish that is sure to have effects on NJPW for some time.
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Kazuchika Okada – There are some Okada/Naito matches that outshine this, in my opinion, but they still had a match that meets the expectations of the G1 final. It’s hard to see this as anything less than the defining rivalry of New Japan’s current era.

********** 

Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa defeated Oskar Leube & Toru Yano

This was a fun opener. The Young Lion bits of this match were delightful. Kaito tried working in his typical style despite Yano, which almost worked. Kaito won the match for his team with a shining wizard on Leube.

I hope that this isn’t the end of Kaito in NJPW, and I don’t think it is. He has been a real highlight of this G1.

Master Wato, Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma & Yuji Nagata defeated El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita, & Yuto Nakashima

This was a great multi-man. I can’t get enough of Ren and Shota; the more I see from them, the more I’m sure this will be the rivalry that defines the 20s. Suzuki and Nagata also worked an excellent sequence. The match ended with a death rider on Nakashima.

After the match, Ren and Shota started a brawl which eventually involved the whole of both teams.

Eddie Kingston, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & YOH defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Tiger Mask & Togi Makabe

This was a fine old guy tag with Eddie Kingston and YOH. There were a couple of interesting exchanges before YOH closed the match with a superkick on Tiger Mask.

After the match, Ishii and Tenzan traded a few headbutts. 

Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Oleg Boltin & Ryusuke Taguchi

This TMDK quartet is excellent in the 8-man tag setting. That said, Oleg was a real star of this match; he’s an absolute mega-star in the making. Nicholls and Haste won the match for TMDK with a tank buster on Goto.

This win leaves TMDK in a solid position to challenge Bishamon for the IWGP tag belts.

El Phantasmo, Hikuleo, Jado., Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defeated Alex Coughlin, Chase Owens, David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & KENTA

This match focused a lot on continuing Bullet Club vs. ex-Bullet Club feud, with particular focus paid to the Tama/Finlay rivalry. Loa won the match with a quick rollup on Owens.

After the match, Bullet Club attacked the winners, but the managed to Tongans stand tall.

BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji defeated Great-O-Khan, HENARE, Jeff Cobb & Will Ospreay

Despite Ospreay’s new UK-themed belt, he was introduced as the US champion, at least the first time.

This was a chaotic match, with both factions violently struggling for control. After multiple extensive back-and-forth sequences, including false finishes, Tsuji hit Ospreay with a pair of spears and pinned the UK champion.

After the match, Eddie Kingston hit the ring, attacking HENARE, and fighting into the back.

This massive upset surely sets up a Tsuji/Ospreay singles match at some point in the future.

Dick Togo, EVIL, SHO, & Yujiro Takahashi defeated DOUKI., SANADA, Taichi. & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

This match took a little longer than usual to devolve into a HoT slog, but it still happened. Taichi tried to answer HoT’s antics with weapons of his own, but SHO countered, hitting him with a staff and the Shock Arrow to win the match.

After the match SHO posed with the KOPW belt, and EVIL attacked SANADA.

This win seemingly sets up a SHO KOPW title match at some point soon.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Kazuchika Okada

This match started with their typical warmup exchange. Okada gained the upper hand with a DDT on the apron, followed by a whip into the barricade. Back in the ring, Naito responded with a neckbreaker to gain footing. Naito then utilized simple offense to establish a lead.

Naito returned Okada’s malice, slamming Okada into the barricade; a violent neckbreaker against the barrier nearly resulted in an Okada count out. Back in the ring, Naito maintained his attack.

Okada landed a dropkick that sent Naito crashing to the floor. On the outside, Naito was able to hang on, whipping Okada back into the barricade. After a moment of hesitation, Okada caught Naito with a tombstone on the concrete floor of Ryogoku.

Okada returned to the ring, landing a suplex and a spinning rainmaker. Naito dodged the primary rainmaker, but Okada answered with a dropkick that crumbled Naito.

Once Naito returned to his feet, he spat in Okada’s face. Naito then landed the rope-assisted DDT that finished Tanahashi earlier in the tournament; neck work followed. A massive poison rana scored Naito a nearfall. Okada’s rally attempt was stuffed with a DDT and a Valencia for another nearfall.

When Naito attempted the stardust press, Okada rolled out of the way. A devastating dropkick set Okada up for another rainmaker attempt, but Naito avoided the finish. Naito secured a snug pin for another nearfall before leaping into Okada to reset the match.

Naito dodged another rainmaker and transitioned into a Destino attempt. Okada reversed the Destino into a short-arm lariat, but Okada failed to follow up again. Naito then hit Destino, but Okada kicked out.

A desperate Naito attempted a second Destino, but Okada slammed him to the mat to reverse. Okada tried again for rainmaker, but, again, Naito transitioned into Destino. Instead of going for the pin, Naito hit another Destino to cement his win. Naito then pinned Okada in the middle of the ring to close the tournament.

Naito has won the G1 Climax 33.

Finals set for NJPW G1 Climax 33

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The finals are set for NJPW’s G1 Climax 33 tournament. 

Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito will square off in Sunday’s finals, as both won their semifinals bouts at Saturday’s NJPW G1 Climax event. 

Okada defeated EVIL in his semifinal match, while Naito defeated Will Ospreay in the show’s main event to advance to the finals. 

For Okada, this year marks a third consecutive G1 finals appearance, and he will be going for his third consecutive G1 title and fifth overall. Okada has never lost a G1 finals, having defeated Karl Anderson to win in 2012, Shinsuke Nakamura in 2014, Kota Ibushi in 2021, and Will Ospreay in 2022. A fifth G1 Climax victory would tie Okada with Masohiro Chono for the most ever. 

Naito will be appearing in his fourth G1 finals, and will go for his third career G1 title. Naito was a finalist in 2011, losing to Shinsuke Nakamura in the deciding bout. He won the 2013 G1, defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in finals, and again won the tournament in 2017, defeating Kenny Omega. 

The winner of Sunday’s Okada vs. Naito bout will earn the right to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 18 on January 4, 2024 in the Tokyo Dome. 

Our full report from Saturday’s semifinals is available here.

NJPW G1 Climax 33 semifinals live results: Naito vs. Ospreay, Okada vs. EVIL

Posted on by Chick Fritts

The semifinals of this year’s NJPW G1 Climax tournament take place today in Sumo Hall. 

In the main event, Tetsuya Naito faces Will Ospreay in a semifinals bout. Ospreay holds a 2-0 record over Naito in singles competition. 

In the semi-main, Kazuchika Okada takes on EVIL is the other semifinal. Okada is 6-2 lifetime against EVIL in singles bouts. 

Today’s winners advance to tomorrow’s finals in the same building to crown the winner of G1 Climax 33. 

Today’s full lineup: 

  • G1 Climax 33 semifinals: Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay
  • G1 Climax 33 semifinals: Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL
  • SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI vs. Hikuleo, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, El Phantasmo & Jado
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Eddie Kingston & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita
  • Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & HENARE
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & YOH vs. David Finlay, KENTA, Chase Owens, Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd
  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita
  • Kaito Kiyomiya & HAYATA vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato

Our live coverage begins at 4 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Recommended Matches

  • Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita – These two teams absolutely demolished each other in one of the best tag matches of the year.
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Eddie Kingston & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita – This was an incredible, well-structured tag that outshined a lot of the actual tournament.
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay – If you enjoy big match Ospreay, you’ll love this. Not to say Naito didn’t put in work; this was absolutely a tournament-defining performance. No doubt, this is the type of G1 semi-final you would expect from Ospreay and Naito.

**********

Kaito Kiyomiya & HAYATA defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato

This NOAH vs. NJPW match was just fine. For most of the match, the juniors focused on each other and the heavyweights on each other. In the end, Kiyomiya won for his team by hitting Tenzan with the shining wizard.

Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita defeated Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma

This was fantastic. Shota and Ren beat the brakes off of each other here. Honma and Suzuki were solid throughout. In the end, Ren won the match for Strong Style by submitting Honma with a cobra twist.

David Finlay, KENTA, Chase Owens, Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd defeated Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & YOH 

This was a goofy match with the pace set by Owens and Yano. The match continued with Finlay and Makabe trading strikes. Finlay won out, dropping Makabe with Oblivion to win the match.

Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & HENARE defeated Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI

UE worked as heels throughout this match, attempting to isolate the LIJ members to maintain control. After multiple back-and-forth sequences, UE secured two submissions in the middle of the ring to win the match.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Eddie Kingston & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita

This was another outstanding tag. The TMDK squad came out strong in this match, working to isolate Tanahashi for a significant portion. The babyface team swung back with some excellent offense, which led to some compelling sequences. The match ended after Kingston unloaded on Fujita before closing with a spinning back fist.

After the match, HENARE hit the ring and attacked Kingston, setting up a NJPW STRONG title match.

Hikuleo, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, El Phantasmo & Jado defeated SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI

This was a reasonably by-the-book 10-man with a couple of athletic sequences and a bit of tomfoolery. The match ended when Hikuleo landed a chokeslam on TAKA; ELP then dragged Jado on top of TAKA to secure the pin.

After the match, the War Dogs surrounded the ring but failed to strike.

Okada defeated Evil

This was not good.

Evil opened the match by jumping Okada and brutalizing him outside the ring. Dick Togo hit Okada with a chair for a nearfall.

Okada powered through Evil’s advance with some strikes of his own to establish some footing. Okada then took the action to the outside himself, whipping Evil into the barricade and driving him to the floor.

After a referee bump, SHO and Yujiro hit the ring and attacked Okada. Okada barely survived the first attack, but many more followed, including a Togo wire choke. Evil dropped Okada with a lariat for a nearfall.

Okada reversed Evil’s finish into a suplex, which he followed with some of his signature offenses. Evil avoided Okada’s attempt to finish and hit Everything is Evil; Okada kicked out. Okada hit an Everything is Evil of his own, followed by a cobra flowsion and a rainmaker to win the match.

Okada is one step closer to his third G1 in a row with this win.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Will Ospreay

This match opened with an extended feeling out sequence. As the match picked up, Ospreay chopped Naito to the floor before landing a plancha.

Back in the ring, the pair jockeyed for control. Naito tried his best to keep Ospreay on the mat, but Ospreay sprung back and knocked Naito to the floor. Naito met Ospreay on the apron and drove him into the ring’s canvas and the floor with a pair of neckbreakers.

Naito returned to the ropes, hit Ospreay with Gloria, and returned to mat work. Ospreay avoided the poison-rana and landed an insane dive from the top and a Liger bomb in response.

Naito reversed the hidden blade with a dropkick and avoided the OsCutter. When Ospreay attempted another powerbomb, Naito reversed into a snug DDT. A second DDT and Valencia scored Naito a nearfall.

Naito attempted stardust press, missed, and ate a hidden blade for even trying, but Ospreay was unable to make the cover.

Ospreay pummeled Naito with kicks before attempting ground and pound, but the referee pulled him off, forcing a standing count. Naito beat the count and ate another hidden blade; Naito kicked out. Ospreay landed OsCutter; Naito kicked out again. Ospreay hit stardust press; Naito kicked out once more. Ospreay attempted Storm Breaker; Naito reversed into a quick pin, nearly stealing a win.

Naito dodged another hidden blade but immediately collapsed. Naito avoided more offense by falling before reversing a Storm Breaker into Destino; Ospreay kicked out, and Naito hit a second Destino and pinned Ospreay to win the match.

The finals are set. Naito and Okada clash tomorrow for the G1 Climax 33.

NJPW G1 Climax 33 night 17 live results: Quarterfinals

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW’s G1 Climax 33 field will be whittled down to four following today’s quarterfinals show in Chiba.

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and A Block winner SANADA (7-0, 14 points) will face former tag team partner and C Block second place finisher EVIL (5-2, 10 points) on today’s show in a quarterfinals matchup. 

B Block winner Kazuchika Okada (6-1, 12 points), a four-time G1 winner, will take on D Block second place finisher Zack Sabre Jr. (5-2, 10 points) today in another quarterfinals bout. 

C Block winner David Finlay (5-2, 10 points) will face B Block second place finisher Will Ospreay (5-2, 10 points) in today’s quarterfinals. 

D Block winner Tetsuya Naito (5-2, 10 points) will take on A Block second place finisher Hikuleo (4-3, 8 points) in the other quarterfinals bout today. 

Today’s winners will advance to Saturday’s semifinals round. 

Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

Recommended Matches

  • Will Ospreay vs. David Finlay – The best match in either man’s tournament.
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – This was main event Okada with all of the normal fixings.

Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, & Shingo Takagi defeated Kosei Fujita, Mikey Nicholls, & Shane Haste

This was a decent opening tag that allowed Fujita to shine. In the end, all three LIJ members focused Fujita before Hiromu closed with timebomb.

Shota Umino, El Phantasmo, Tanga Loa, & Tama Tonga defeated Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita, El Desperado, & Hiroyoshi Tenzan

This match bounced between greatness and something significantly lesser. Ren and Shota have insane chemistry, and the stories being told by both men are engrossing; everything else in the match was not good. In the end, ELP won with his superkick and a pin on Tenzan.

Chase Owens, KENTA, Alex Coughlin, & Gabe Kidd defeated Taichi, DOUKI, TAKA Michinoku, &Yoshinobu Kanemaru

This was a silly faction battle. Both teams played dirty, with the more serious War Dogs being downright nasty at times. In the end, Kidd won by distracting the referee and dropping TAKA with a right hand.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Eddie Kingston, and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Great-O-Khan, HENARE, & Jeff Cobb

This was a high-impact six-man. After a bunch of competitive exchanges, HENARE attempted to hit Kingston with Streets of Rage; Kingston escaped, hit the spinning back fist, and pinned HENARE.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Hikuleo

This was a fairly nothing match. It wasn’t horrible, just awfully uninteresting. 

Early on, Naito started working Hikleo’s leg. A grounded Hikuleo struggled to get much going before reversing a DDT into a last ride. Naito escaped the chokeslam multiple times, each time gaining more than he did the time before. After dodging a fourth finish attempt from Hikuleo, Naito hit Destino and won the match to advance.

Will Ospreay defeated David Finlay 

This was a fantastic match. The action all built to the finish wonderfully, and in a rare case, the interference added to the match.

Before the match could begin, Coughlin and Kidd met Ospreay on the ramp. Cobb and O-Khan met the War Dogs, evening the sides. The War Dogs returned to the ring, saving the violence for later.

The match itself opened slowly, with both men looking for anything resembling an opening. Ospreay struck first with a boot and a short offensive sequence.

Finlay took the lead for the first time by taking the fight to the floor. Finlay drove Ospreay into the barricade before setting up a table. Cobb took away Finlay’s table, prompting Finlay to spit in Cobb’s face. Cobb pushed Finlay to the floor, which forced the referee to eject him. While the referee was busy with Cobb, Coughlin and Kidd beat down Ospreay before serving him to Finlay in the ring. Finlay maintained this lead for some time, withstanding multiple Ospreay comebacks.

Finlay tried setting up his table again, but Ospreay hit him with an OsCutter on the apron. Ospreay set Finlay on the table, but Kidd made the save and ate a superkick for his troubles. Once Ospreay cleared his distraction, he drove Finlay through the table with a powerbomb.

Back in the ring, Finlay ate an OsCutter for a nearfall. Ospreay then climbed to the top rope and went for Leap of Fate, but Finlay pulled the referee on top of himself. The referee was out for some time, prompting the War Dogs to beat down Ospreay. The previously ejected United Empire returned from the back and made the save.

Once the fog cleared, Ospreay attempted Hidden Blade, but Finlay was ready with his shillelagh. After dropping Ospreay with his weapon, a second referee entered the match for a nearfall. Finlay attempted to close with Oblivion, but Ospreay reversed into a cutter. Ospreay then tried for Hidden Blade twice, hitting on his second attempt before closing with Storm Breaker.

Ospreay and Naito are now set to collide in the semi-finals.

EVIL defeated SANADA

This was bad—one of the worst matches in the tournament, even.

Before the match could begin, Dick Togo went to the back, leaving the two competitors to fight alone.

The match opened slow, with the former faction mates feeling each other out. As soon as SANADA gained an advantage, EVIL waved to the back, and Togo returned to ringside—he was gone for 90 seconds.

EVIL then attacked SANADA on the floor, driving him into the barricade and attacking him with chairs. Meanwhile, Togo was removing a turnbuckle pad from the ring. Once the match returned to the ring, SANADA whipped him into the exposed corner.

SANADA eventually sprung back, working a hold before shoving EVIL into Togo. EVIL and SANADA traded low blows before Togo pulled the referee from the ring and began to choke SANADA with his wire.

SANADA reversed the Magic Killer, dropped EVIL with a swinging neckbreaker, and Togo with a shining wizard. SANADA hit a moonsault and attempted deadfall, but EVIL raked his eyes. After another back and forth, EVIL reversed deadfall again and hit Everything is Evil to win the match and advance to the semi-finals.

Even if EVIL doesn’t win the tournament, the win all but guarantees an EVIL/SANADA IWGP Championship match. Have mercy on our souls.

Kazuchika Okada defeated Zack Sabre Jr.

The early game saw ZSJ upsetting Okada with a few kicks. Okada followed up by taking ZSJ to the floor and slamming him into the barricades. A draping DDT from the barrier established a strong lead for Okada, which he maintained in the ring.

ZSJ caught Okada in a hold to gain some footing. ZSJ worked Okada on the ground, but Okada powered to his feet and dropped ZSJ with an air raid crash.

Once standing, the pair traded strikes. Okada hit a landslide, and ZSJ answered with a Zack Driver. They then traded strikes from the ground before fighting to their feet.

ZSJ reversed a rainmaker into a lariat of his own. Okada knocked ZSJ with a dropkick but ZSJ rolled through and leveled Okada with a penalty kick; Okada kicked out at one. Okada hit ZSJ with another dropkick, and ZSJ sprung back to his feet, triggering a slap off. Okada won out with a lariat.

Okada attempted another rainmaker, but ZSJ caught him in a stretch. Okada powered out and dropped ZSJ with the rainmaker to win the match.

Okada is now set to face EVIL in the semis.

NJPW G1 Climax 33 night 16 live results: D Block finals

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Five wrestlers remain mathematically alive for the final two quarterfinals spots in NJPW’s G1 Climax 33 tournament heading into today’s show. 

The most likely scenarios will see the winners of today’s main event and semi-main event advancing to Thursday’s quarterfinals. In the main event, Tetsuya Naito faces Hiroshi Tanahashi in a match where Naito advances with a win, while Tana needs a win and help. In the semi-main, Zack Sabre Jr. faces Hirooki Goto in a bout where both need a win and help to advance. Jeff Cobb is in a straightforward win-and-in scenario against Shane Haste. 

The full card: 

  • D Block: Tetsuya Naito (4-2, 8 points) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-3, 6 points)
  • D Block: Zack Sabre Jr. (4-2, 8 points) vs. Hirooki Goto (3-3, 6 points)
  • D Block: Jeff Cobb (4-2, 8 points) vs. Shane Haste (2-4, 4 points)
  • D Block: Toru Yano (2-4, 4 points) vs. Alex Coughlin (2-4, 4 points)
  • Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita vs. Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma vs. Great-O-Khan & HENARE
  • Hikuleo, Shota Umino & Master Wato vs. David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Gedo
  • Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita
  • Eddie Kingston & Yuto Nakashima vs. EVIL & SHO

Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.

**********

Recommended Matches

  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hirooki Goto – This match was a fantastic culmination of story threads established through the tournament.
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – This was one of the tournament’s best matches. Tanahashi remains incredible, in case there was any doubt. 

EVIL & SHO defeated Eddie Kingston & Yuto Nakashima

This was a typical, tired House of Torture match. Towards the end of the babyface rally, Nakashima was left alone in the ring; SHO took this opportunity to drop him with a wrench strike and a Shock Arrow to win the match.

Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita defeated Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa 

This match was a hoot. The Young Lions were ambitious throughout the match, leading into the final stretch. Ultimately, Nicholls won the bout for TMDK by hitting Oiwa with a sliding lariat.

Hikuleo, Shota Umino & Master Wato defeated David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Gedo

This was a by-the-book six-man. Wato won the match for his team by forcing Gedo to submit to Vendaval. After the match, Bullet Club beat down the winners and stood tall with their belts.

Great-O-Khan & HENARE defeated Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma 

This was an entertaining match built around United Empire’s desire to kill Ishii. In the end, HENARE won the match by dropping Honma with Streets of Rage.

After the match, O-Khan gave MMA fighter/Pro Wrestler Hideki Sekine a ribbon.

Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita defeated Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI

This was a solid LIJ/Strong Style match. There were some fun exchanges between Suzuki/Shingo and Ren/BUSHI. In the end, Ren won the match for Strong Style with a cobra twist on BUSHI.

Alex Coughlin defeated Toru Yano

While not horrible, this felt more like a House of Torture match than a War Dogs match. Before the match could begin, Gabe Kidd and Coughlin attacked Yano with chairs and barricades. Yano fought back, driving Kidd through a table. Yano tried stabbing Coughlin with scissors, distracting the referee long enough for Coughlin to hit Yano with a belt and the jackhammer to win the match.

Coughlin ends his tournament with 6 points, Yano 4.

Double Count Out: Jeff Cobb vs. Shane Haste

Haste, essentially playing spoiler on behalf of TMDK, worked a very aggressive match here. Cobb, with his tournament on the line, matched Haste’s energy. The fight worked its way to the floor, where Haste’s strategy began to play out; Haste kept Cobb on the floor as the count climbed, eventually holding him down to force the count out.

This result leaves Cobb with 9 points, which is still leading the block but makes him much more vulnerable to the results from later tonight. 

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hirooki Goto

ZSJ focused on wearing down an already worn down Goto. Goto fired back with well-timed bombs, forcing ZSJ on the backfoot multiple times. ZSJ won out in the end by submitting Goto on the mat.

This win puts ZSJ at 10 points, which secures his spot in the playoffs.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi

This was a simple, rock-solid Tanahashi masterclass. Tanahashi’s slow build to Ace’s High and High Fly Flow was incredible. Naito won the match in the end with a tornado DDT which echoed through the building. 

This win secures Naito’s spot in the playoffs. He stands atop the block with 10 points.

Quarter-Final Playoff Matches

Tonight marks the end of block action and finalizes the lineup for the playoffs. 

  • SANADA vs. EVIL
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • David Finlay vs. Will Ospreay
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Hikuleo

**********

Standings

A Block

  • SANADA (7-0) – 14 points
  • Hikuleo (4-3) – 8 points
  • Yota Tsuji (3-3-1) – 7 points
  • Shota Umino (2-3-2) – 6 points
  • Kaito Kiyomiya (2-3-2) – 6 points
  • Ren Narita (2-3-2) – 6 points
  • Gabe Kidd (2-4-1) 5 points
  • Chase Owens (2-5) – 4 points

B Block

  • Kazuchika Okada (6-1) – 12 points
  • Will Ospreay (6-2) 10 points
  • Taichi (3-4) – 6 points
  • El Phantasmo (3-4) 6 points
  • Tanga Loa (3-4) 6 points
  • KENTA (3-4) 6 points
  • Great-O-Khan (3-4) 6 points
  • YOSHI-HASHI (2-5) – 4 points

C Block

  • David Finlay (5-2) – 10 points
  • EVIL (5-2) – 10 points
  • Tama Tonga (4-2-1) – 9 points
  • Eddie Kingston (4-3) – 8 points
  • Shingo Takagi (3-3-1) – 7 points
  • Mikey Nicholls (2-5) – 4 points
  • HENARE (2-5) – 4 points
  • Tomohiro Ishii (2-5) – 4 points

D Block

  • Zack Sabre Jr. (5-2) – 10 points
  • Tetsuya Naito (5-2) – 10 points
  • Jeff Cobb (4-2-1) – 9 points
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-4) – 6 points
  • Hirooki Goto (3-4) – 6 points
  • Alex Coughlin (3-4) – 6 points
  • Shane Haste (2-4-1) – 5 points
  • Toru Yano (2-5) – 4 points

Two C Block wrestlers advance to NJPW G1 Climax 33 quarterfinals

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Two wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals of NJPW’s G1 Climax 33 tournament on Tuesday on the final night of C Block matches. 

David Finlay defeated Eddie Kingston in a win-and-in situation on Tuesday to secure first place in C Block, while EVIL earned the second playoff spot from C Block by defeating Shingo Takagi in the show’s main event. 

Finlay earned the top C Block seed by virtue of his head-to-head win over EVIL earlier in the tournament, and will take on B Block second place finisher Will Ospreay in Thursday’s quarterfinals, while EVIL faces A Block winner SANADA on Thursday.

The tournament continues on Wednesday, August 9 with the D Block finals. The quarterfinals are set for Thursday, August 10, the semifinals will be held Saturday, August 12, and the finals take place on Sunday, August 13.

Our full report from Tuesday’s show is available here.

The current quarterfinals lineup for Thursday, August 10:

  • A Block winner SANADA vs. C Block second place finisher EVIL
  • B Block winner Kazuchika Okada vs. D Block second place finisher
  • C Block winner David Finlay vs. B Block second place finisher Will Ospreay
  • D Block winner vs. A Block second place finisher Hikuleo

The final C Block standings: 

  • David Finlay (5-2, 10 points)
  • EVIL (5-2, 10 points)
  • Tama Tonga (4-2-1, 9 points)
  • Eddie Kingston (4-3, 8 points)
  • Shingo Takagi (3-3-1, 7 points)
  • HENARE (2-5, 4 points)
  • Tomohiro Ishii (2-5, 4 points)
  • Mikey Nicholls (2-5, 4 points)

NJPW G1 Climax 33 night 15 live results: C Block finals

Posted on by Chick Fritts

C Block’s representatives in the NJPW G1 Climax 33 quarterfinals will be decided tonight on the final night of C Block bouts. 

Five wrestlers remain mathematically alive for the two playoff spots heading into the final night. The most likely scenarios involve the winners of the semi-main event and main event advancing. 

Shingo Takagi faces EVIL in the main event, with EVIL advancing with a draw or a victory. Shingo needs a win to advance. In the semi-main, the winner of Eddie Kingston vs. David Finlay will advance to the quarterfinals. Tama Tonga must defeat HENARE and have an unlikely double DQ finish in Finlay vs. Kingston to advance. 

The full card: 

  • C Block: EVIL (4-2, 8 points) vs. Shingo Takagi (3-2-1, 7 points)
  • C Block: Eddie Kingston (4-2, 8 points) vs. David Finlay (4-2, 8 points)
  • C Block: Tama Tonga (3-2-1, 7 points) vs. HENARE (2-4, 4 points)
  • C Block: Mikey Nicholls (2-4, 4 points) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (1-5, 2 points)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Master Wato vs. Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI
  • Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita vs. Hirooki Goto, YOH & Oskar Leube
  • Hikuleo, Shota Umino & Jado vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita
  • Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma vs. Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd
  • Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan

Our live coverage begins at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Recommended Matches

  • Eddie Kingston vs. David Finlay – Finlay had a score to settle, Eddie had a dream to fulfill, and the winner advanced to the playoffs. With sky-high stakes, this was the most emotional Eddie match in the tournament. 

  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Mikey Nicholls – This was a hard-hitting Ishii match with a strong performance from Nicholls.

**********

Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan defeated Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa 

This was a solid tag. Most of the match was built on UE controlling Oiwa, leading to a Kaito hot tag. After tagging back in, UE continued their focus on Oiwa, allowing Cobb to close with Eliminator. 

Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd defeated Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma

If you can somehow imagine, this War Dogs match was violent. It was amusing to see the focused War Dogs clash with the goofy personalities of Honma and Yano. To close, Kidd bumped the ref and dropped Honma with a closed fist to win the match.

After the match, the War Dogs beat down Yano ahead of Coughlin’s G1 match tomorrow. While walking to the back, Coughlin threatened Yano with death. 

Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita defeated Hikuleo, Shota Umino & Jado

This was a reasonably by-the-numbers tag with some firey sequences between Ren and Shota; every time they’re in the ring together, it feels like we’re on the verge of a generational rivalry. Ren was able to win the match for his team by submitting Jado with a cobra twist.

After the match, Shota and Ren traded a couple of slaps.

Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita defeated Hirooki Goto, YOH & Oskar Leube

This was another absolutely solid tag. The exchanges between YOH and Fujita were fantastic. In the end, Haste won with a massive powerbomb, pinning Oskar Leube.

After the match, YOH and Fujita traded licks, prompting Goto and ZSJ to break it up. A tense staredown between ZSJ and Goto followed.

Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Master Wato 

This was a bit of a slog compared to the other tags on this card. The most compelling part of this match, the Makabe and Tsuji section, was clumsy at best. This awkward sequence was the end, with Tsuji hitting a stomp, falcon arrow, and a spear to win the match.

After the match, Naito attacked Tanahahsi, focusing on his leg, which he had spent a lot of time working on during the match.

Tomohiro Ishii defeated Mikey Nicholls

Unsurprisingly, this was an intense encounter. Nicholls dropped Ishii on his head repeatedly, scoring a couple of nearfalls. Ishii fired back with a fierce rally, leading to a brainbuster that won Ishii the match.

This result leaves both men with 4 points to finish the tournament.

Tama Tonga defeated HENARE

This did little-to-nothing for me. HENARE worked heelishly throughout, opening the door for a Tama comeback. After surviving a rampage, Tama caught HENARE with a fist and a double under-hook driver to win the match.

This win put Tama at 9 points, ahead of everyone else in C block for the time being. HENARE’s tournament is over with 4 points.

David Finlay defeated Eddie Kingston 

This was one of my favorite matches of the tournament. Eddie’s energy was palpable in this match. Finlay was forced to wrestle downright hateful in response to Eddie’s grit. The finish saw Finlay avoiding a back fist before landing a spear and Oblivion to win the match.

After the match, Finlay stomped on Eddie’s NJPW STRONG title while holding the NEVER belt high.

This win eliminated Eddie from the tournament and secured Finlay’s spot in the elite 8 with 10 points. Finlay is set to face Will Ospreay on Thursday in the quarter-finals.

EVIL defeated Shingo Takagi

EVIL worked dirty from the opening bell. As Shingo fired back, House of Torture made their presence felt. After a referee bump, HoT attacked Shingo, forcing LIJ to make the save. A prolonged, chaotic faction war ended with a low blow, and Everything is Evil.

This win secured EVIL’s spot in the playoffs with 10 points. 

**********

Standings

A Block

  • SANADA (7-0) – 14 points
  • Hikuleo (4-3) – 8 points
  • Yota Tsuji (3-3-1) – 7 points
  • Shota Umino (2-3-2) – 6 points
  • Kaito Kiyomiya (2-3-2) – 6 points
  • Ren Narita (2-3-2) – 6 points
  • Gabe Kidd (2-4-1) 5 points
  • Chase Owens (2-5) – 4 points

B Block

  • Kazuchika Okada (6-1) – 12 points
  • Will Ospreay (6-2) 10 points
  • Taichi (3-4) – 6 points
  • El Phantasmo (3-4) 6 points
  • Tanga Loa (3-4) 6 points
  • KENTA (3-4) 6 points
  • Great-O-Khan (3-4) 6 points
  • YOSHI-HASHI (2-5) – 4 points

C Block

  • David Finlay (5-2) – 10 points
  • EVIL (5-2) – 10 points
  • Tama Tonga (4-2-1) – 9 points
  • Eddie Kingston (4-3) – 8 points
  • Shingo Takagi (3-3-1) – 7 points
  • Mikey Nicholls (2-5) – 4 points
  • HENARE (2-5) – 4 points
  • Tomohiro Ishii (2-5) – 4 points

D Block

  • Jeff Cobb (4-2) – 8 points
  • Zack Sabre Jr. (4-2) – 8 points
  • Tetsuya Naito (4-2) – 8 points
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi (3-3) – 6 points
  • Hirooki Goto (3-3) – 6 points
  • Shane Haste (2-4) – 4 points
  • Alex Coughlin (2-4) – 4 points
  • Toru Yano (2-4) – 4 points